Let's Talk Doctor Who: Asylum of the Daleks

I imagine there are two types of people reading this article. Those who have already watched Asylum of the Daleks, the first episode of series 7 of Doctor Who, and those who have never watched Doctor Who but are curious. Because the show only recently turned me from a complete skeptic into a frothing fanatic, I will try to address the newbies first. Here's what's up:

A Quick Newbie Guide to Doctor Who

The main thing you need to know about Doctor Who is that it's about an eccentric and silly man called The Doctor that travels through space and time in a police call box. He is a Time Lord, and more or less the last of his kind. He also likes to take human companions on his adventures, which usually changes their lives forever and puts them in a ton of danger. Sometimes the Doctor dies and comes back as a new actor in a process called regeneration (or the end of TV show contracts). Currently the series is in a bit of a transition. We know this is the last season for the Doctor's current companions, and a new companion will be introduced soon.

But where do you start?

Honestly, I think starting from this episode would be a bad move, which is why I'm making a point to address it. While Doctor Who episodes can be enjoyable on their own, it's a show that gets better when you're invested in the main character's journeys. This new season is the closing act for some of the best characters the show has ever seen, and it would be a shame to miss out on the build-up. That leaves you with three options:

1) Be a crazy person and watch the show from its very beginning in the 60s. But seriously that's over 700 episodes and you'd have to be extremely bored.

2) Attack the show from season one of the reboot that's currently airing. It's still daunting, but it's also the most rewarding way to watch the show.

3) Start from season 5, when a new Doctor and new companion are introduced. This is probably the point in the series with the least baggage from previous seasons and it's also the point where the quality of the show jumps exponentially. Previous seasons are extremely hit and miss, but when Steven Moffat (of Sherlock fame) took the reins, the worst episodes went from "appallingly bad" to "just okay" and the best episodes went from "wow that was surprisingly awesome" to "that was completely brilliant television!"

Whichever choice you make, get caught up to the rest of us and come back to GameZone every week for another episode discussion. Everyone else can continue to the next page for some words on the actual episode.

About The Author

Joe Donato
Video games became an amazing, artful, interactive story-driven medium for me right around when I played Panzer Dragoon Saga on Sega Saturn. Ever since then, I've wanted to be a part of this industry. Somewhere along the line I, possibly foolishly, decided I'd rather write about them than actually make them. So here I am.